STUDIES ON PESTICIDE RESISTANT PHOSPHATE SOLUBILIZING BACTERIA FROM GRAPE YARD SOIL*Jadhav A.V., Shaikh N.R. and Pathade G.R.Abstract Dimethoate, a widely used organophosphate insecticide and acaricide to grape plants, is readily absorbed and distributed throughout plant tissues. The present work was based on isolation and studies on pesticide resistant phosphate solubilizing bacteria from grape yard soil. The Minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] of normal garden microflora was observed to be 0.8% of dimethoate. The total of 6 pesticide resistant phosphate solubilizing bacteria [PP1, PP2, PP3, PP4, PP5, and PP6] were isolated from grape yard soil on Katznelsonâs and Bose agar. Colony characteristics, morphological characteristics, motility, sporulation and capsulation of isolates were studied. Biochemical characteristics including carbohydrate utilization, H2S production and enzyme activities were studied. Agricultural importance of the isolates with respect to indole acetic acid production, nitrogen fixation, cellulose degradation, antagonistic effects on Azotobacter spp. and Rhizobium spp. were also studied. The pesticide tolerance was checked and seed germination test were performed. The effect of each isolate and mixed cultures on plant growth of moth bean seeds was studied. From the results, the isolate PP3 was found to be most important agriculturally producing indole acetic acid. The mixed culture also improved shoot and root growth. Further studies in this context are in process. |